House of Pleasures

Alice strolled through the busting fair-ground searching for the man she had spoken to for weeks online. After moving continent for her job, she'd finally plucked up the courage to get out and meet someone. Her stomach felt like a pit of writing snakes as she tried to look pretty whilst trudging through a muddy field full of excited strangers. As a very sensible and cautious woman, Alice knew she was taking a huge risk. Whilst she had spoken to Rab for several hours a day, he had only sent her artistic and abstract shots of himself so far. She had seen enough to know he was attractive. A muscle bound shoulder decorated with undulating tattoos, a square jaw with a smattering of salt and pepper stubble, and, best of all, ice blue eyes that seemed unaturally bright. He had said to wear white and he would too. He said she wouldn't be able to miss him. Now, Alice just felt stupid wandering around in her riding boots and a white floaty dress that buffeted in the wind. Just as she turned to return to the carpark, Alice caught sight of a tall man making powerful strides past her. She caught nothing except the tails of his suit jacket as the white fabric moved in the breeze. Goosebumps prickled her skin, and she snapped out of her daze just in time to follow him. Clutching her forearms to her ample breasts to stop them slipping out of her flimsy dress, she began to jog through the crowd. Alice earned herself several tuts and a smear of ice cream to her dress as she went, but suddenly, she had no hesitation. Her pulse was racing, and she felt a single-minded determination. She must catch this man! After several minutes battling the crowd, Alice was panting slightly, and her eyes moved wildly as she tried to follow the man, now only 10 feet away. "Hey! Wait!" She tried to shout. But the wind and the bustle drowned her out. She could see him better now. Dressed in a white suit of all things, he stood more than a head taller than her. His powerful thighs strained against the fabric as he moved ahead of her. His jet black cropped hair was peppered with grey, and she couldn't help but wonder if he'd lied about being 30. Just as Alice collided with a laughing couple, the man seemed to disappear ahead of her. A sob of laughter almost broke free just as Alice noticed a gate within a chain link fence bang shut. Hardly any people were in this part of the fair grounds. The chain link fence looked new, but the sign barring entry was flaking and yellow. Gingerly, peering around, Alice stepped forward to the gate, and with the urge to find the mysterious man still thruming in her veins, she took a breath and moved over the threshold Alice was not by nature daring, but between the pull of the stranger and resignation to having already gone so far, she moved through the dimly lit area behind the gate. In the dusk light, Alice could see the outlines of abandoned bumper cars and twisted pieces of brightly painted metal to either side of her. A huge dark shape loomed ahead, and the path between the scrap seemed to lead right to it. Still without any sign of the man in white, her heart began to pound in her ears. Despite herself, she continued to the shape forming in front of her, which she could now make out as a 12 foot high clown face. Its mouth gaped open, and its tongue rolled out to meet the ground. An arch shaped door swung in the throat of the clown, and she ran up the sloaped tongue. The doors burst inward as Alice pushed through, and she was swallowed by darkness. She paused, one boot foot over the threshold as a deep sultry voice echoed around her. "Hello, little Alice, don't dally! You are already late for our date!"